Mark’s Column

THIS week I was delighted to welcome the Skills Minister Matthew Hancock to Fylde as he job shadowed an apprentice at BAE Warton. The company has one of the UK’s best records when it comes to offering apprenticeships and I know thousands of people in Fylde have either worked for BAE or have friends or [...]

THIS week I was delighted to see the Office for National Statistics publish figures which showed inflation was at 2.8 per cent in July, nearly half of its peak of 5.2 per cent. I think that gives a good indication that the economy is on the mend, and comes on the back of a number [...]

THIS weekend’s Staining Gala was blessed with glorious weather which insured it was once again a roaring success. In all, it was a fantastic event and I was pleased to be able to walk the procession route with all those taking part. In Fylde, we are extremely fortunate that we have maintained our traditions surrounding [...]

THIS week in Parliament I have been preparing for the Westminster Hall debate which I had arranged to discuss a range of issues associated with potential shale gas extraction. I felt it was important that MPs, particularly those who may have sites in their constituencies, were given the opportunity to delve further into the subject [...]

LAST Friday was an historic day in Parliament when members gathered to vote for an unprecedented in/out referendum on Europe. I personally endorsed Conservative MP James Wharton’s bill regarding Britain’s relationship with the EU as I believe it is important for UK citizens to be given the opportunity to have their say on our membership [...]